Quick Movie Reviews: Win Win (2011)

Win Win (2011)

Bottomline: Beautiful and wonderful film.

Who Directed This Terrific Movie? Thomas McCarthy, who has also directed two other fabulous films: The Station Agent (2003) and The Visitor (2007).

Where Can I See This Movie? It is in wide release at a theater near you.

Be Sure To See Reviews of: The Station Agent (2003) and The Visitor (2007). Both can be found in the left-hand column. You will find a QMR review and a trailer. Then you must rent them.

QMR Opinion: Until 2003, Thomas McCarthy was primarily known for his acting. I was particularly impressed by his work on the HBO series The Wire. Then in 2003 a little film was released called The Station Agent. Then in 2007, he released a film called The Visitor. Now, he has released Win Win. He is the primary screenwriter on all three and directed all three. And. . .all three are fabulous. They are fabulous because their stories are so accessible; the actors are perfectly cast; and the direction focuses on the humanity of it all. In Win Win, Paul Giamatti plays a down and out attorney, who specializes in elderly care. In his spare time, he coaches a high school wrestling team. As the story plays out, he ends up taking care of an elderly client (Burt Young -- yes, cousin Pauley from the Rocky movies) who, as it turns out, has a grandson (first-timer Alex Shaffer), who is a phenomenal wrestler. As with life, decisions made have consequences are we are mesmerized as we see this human drama unfold. Rounding out the cast are Amy Ryan, who is terrific as Giamatti's wife; and Bobby Cannavale, who brings his own special brand of character as Giamatti's best friend and assistant wrestling coach. Funny, poignant and downright real, this movie carries on a directorial tradition that McCarthy started with The Station Agent. I cannot wait to see what McCarthy does next.

Quick Movie Reviews: The Visitor and Let The Right One In

The Visitor (2007)

Bottomline: Well-directed small film that deserves your attention.

Pros: Delicately and subtly directed by Tom McCarthy. Superbly understated performance by Richard Jenkins, who was nominated for an Academy Award. Strong performances by the supporting cast. Interesting story (also written by McCarthy). Added bonus: Hiam Abass. . .wow. . .she is great.

Cons: It's a small indie film and is certainly not for everyone. A key plot point of the film involves this country's post-9/11 illegal immigration process and could be seen as politicizing this issue.

Where Can I Get It? It is available for rent.

QMR Opinion: Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is an economics professor who is going through the motions. His wife died, and he has simply put his life on pause. That is until a chance encounter puts him in the company of a young Sengalese woman and her Syrian boyfriend. McCarthy is the director here and he handles the film and its material superbly. The action centers around Vale, the young couple, and the young man's mother (played terrifically by Hiam Abass). Vale makes the crucial decision to allow himself to be drawn out of his shell and, in the process, discovers a new beat to his own life.



Let The Right One In (2008)

Bottomline: Good and extremely interesting little film with vampires.

Pros: The movie relies completely on the peformances of Kara Hedebrant, a 12-year-old boy, and Lena Leandersson, a 12-year-old girl. It works. They turn in solid performances and are completely believable.

Cons: It's an independent Swedish film so there's lots (and lots) of snow -- short shots of snow, long shots of snow, long shots of ice, short shots of ice. . .you get the idea. I don't like English dubbing so I turn on the sub-titles, which don't appeal to a lot of people.

Where Can I See It? It is available for rent via DVD.

QMR Opinion: Oskar is a 12-year-old lonely little boy who does what he can to get by. He is relentlessly and mercilessly picked on by a gang of kids at school, his parents are divorced and he lives in probably the dreariest apartment complex ever captured on film. Then Eli moves in. She is a 12-year-old little girl, who introduces herself to Oskar one night, and right away you know something's a little off. Yes, turns out she's a vampire. They strike up a friendship that will change both of their lives. Except for a couple of scenes that, frankly, don't really work, the entire movie is shot from the perspective of Oskar. You see the world through 12-year-old eyes. While the movie relies on some common vampire mythology, I was surprised by how atypical a "vampire" movie it is. There is nothing sexy about it, and it is treated almost like a disability. The film has moments of intense violence and is certainly not for anyone under the age of 17. A question to ask yourself at the end of the movie: Is it a happy ending? And one more thing.. .Please don't pick on the boyfriend of a vampire. It doesn't end well.

Quick Movie Review: The Station Agent (2003)

The Station Agent (2003)

Bottomline: Magnificent little film.

Where Can I See It? It is available for rent.

QMR Opinion: In his directorial debut, Thomas McCarthy does a terrific job of sitting back and letting the story tell itself. Filled with humor and despair, The Station Agent stars Peter Dinklage, who absolutely owns this movie. Dinklage plays a man whose only friend dies and so he moves to New Jersey to get away from it all. It is in this solitude that he finds Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale. These three unlikely friends move from friendship to family. The Station Agent puts a spotlight on what makes us human and reminds us of the connections we all share -- whether we want to admit it or not.